


Stay With Me

by Ice_Queen784



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Based on a Sam Smith Song, Depression, F/M, Implied/Referenced Incest, One Night Stands, POV Alternating, Songfic, except not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:20:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23885866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ice_Queen784/pseuds/Ice_Queen784
Summary: Jaime just went to Winterfell to get away from his family for a few days. Catelyn just went to the pub to fill the missing piece of her for a few hours. They both found something far beyond what they were looking for.
Relationships: Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark (Past), Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister (mentioned), Jaime Lannister/Catelyn Tully Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Stay With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Based on Stay With Me by Sam Smith.
> 
> This is my first fic for GoT. Why did I write my first fic for this fandom about a random pairing I just ran across one day and not my actual OTP? I don't know. But this is my first GoT fic that I actually finished, so enjoy I guess! :)

**Jaime’s POV**

_ Guess it’s true, I’m not good at a one-night stand _

_ But I still need love ‘cause I’m just a man _

Jaime woke up to sunlight streaming through the curtains. He looked around to see he was laying in bed in his hotel room in Winterfell, next to a strange red-haired woman. Except she wasn’t really that strange anymore, was she?

Her name was Catelyn. He’d met her at a pub the night before. He didn’t know much about her, but they’d hit it off, and he had taken her back to his hotel room.

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains. She looked stunning. She really was beautiful, even though she looked nothing like Cersei. Perhaps that made her even more attractive to him right now. 

Without even thinking about it, he started to stroke her hair gently. Her eyes fluttered open. Suddenly, she looked startled. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Jaime told her. 

“Who the hell are you?” She asked. “You’re not Ned.”

He had no clue who Ned was. 

“No, I’m not Ned, I’m Jaime.” He explained. “You seemed very aware of that last night.”

Catelyn sighed and rolled onto her back.

“I’m sorry.” She told him. “I just had a really vivid dream about my husband, and when I woke up, I was expecting to see him.”

Her husband? His stomach dropped. 

“You’re married?” 

“Yes, I mean, I was. I guess I’m not anymore.” She replied sadly. 

“What happened?”

“He died in a car accident last year.” She started to cry.

“Gods, I’m so sorry.” He reached out to take her hand. 

She pulled away and wiped her tears.

“I should get going,” Catelyn said, sitting up. “I need to get home before the kids wake up.”

“How many kids do you have?” 

“Seven.” 

“Seven? You gave birth to seven children?”

“No, I only gave birth to five.” She explained. “But my husband had a son with another woman and we took in a kid from the Iron Islands who was in the foster system and ended up adopting him. So now I’m a single mother of seven.”

“I can’t imagine.” 

She sat in silence for a moment before getting out of bed.

“Can you stay a little longer?” Jaime blurted out. She turned around and stared at him. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m not good at the whole one-night stand thing.”

“I guess I’m not either.” She replied. 

“You don’t have to stay.” He told her. “I understand that you probably need to get home to your kids.”

“How about I give you my number and you can call me later?” Catelyn suggested.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” 

She scribbled her number on the pad of paper on the nightstand. Then she got dressed and grabbed her keys and her purse. 

“Bye.” She gave him a small smile.

“Bye.”

As he watched her leave, he couldn’t help but wish she had stayed. He needed to feel less alone. He needed to feel something. Some kind of love. Even if it was just physical. He wondered if she needed that too. 

_ These nights never seem to go to plan _

_ I don’t want you to leave, will you hold my hand? _

That evening, Jaime called Catelyn again. He didn’t think she would pick up, but she did.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Catelyn?” He replied. “This is Jaime Lannister. The guy that you woke up with this morning.”

“Yeah, I remember you.” She sounded almost annoyed. “What do you want?”

“I was just wondering if you’d like to see me again.” He told her. “Perhaps we could meet at the bar again?”

“Sure.” She agreed, to his surprise. “I’ll meet you there at nine.”

“Sounds good.”

“Don’t worry about it, go back to your room and pick up before dinner.”

“What?”

“Oh, no, not you.” Catelyn laughed. “I was talking to Arya, my daughter. She’s nine and always sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. She asked me who I was meeting.”

“Oh, your family doesn’t know about me?” He teased. She didn’t seem to find it funny.

“Of course they don’t.” She snapped. “I don’t tell my children who I’m sleeping with.”

“I-I was just joking. I didn’t mean-,” he sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She replied. “I’ll see you at nine.”

She hung up before he could respond.

That night, Jaime walked in the bar right at nine. It was a small place called The Direwolf, that he had only found because of a recommendation from his brother Tyrion, who had visited Winterfell several times before. 

Catelyn was already there, sitting on a stool at the bar. He sat down next to her and ordered a drink. 

“Hey.” He greeted her when the bartender walked away. “You beat me here.”

“What can I say?” She turned to him with a smile. “I’m a punctual woman. It comes with my job. You’re expected to be on time to your client’s trial.”

“Trial?” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a lawyer?”

“You bet your sweet ass I am.” She replied. “One of the best in the city.”

“Color me impressed.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a police officer in King’s Landing.” Jaime answered.

“You’re from King’s Lansing?”

“I live in King’s Landing, but I grew up in Casterly Rock.”

“What brings you all the way up here?”

“I just needed to get away.” He sighed, wanting to change the subject. “So have you lived in Winterfell your whole life?”

“No, I moved here when I married Ned.” She explained. “I was born and raised in Riverrun.”

“I’ve heard it said that the women of the Riverlands are as wet and wild as the rivers themselves.”

“You’re damn right we are.”

She leaned forward and kissed him passionately. He suddenly found himself wishing they were in a dark, corner booth, where he could take off her skirt and fuck her right there. 

“Why don’t we take this back to the hotel?” He suggested when they finally pulled away.

She nodded in agreement. 

The next morning, he woke up with her in his arms again. This time, though, she was already awake. 

“Good morning, Jaime.” She told him.

“Good morning, Catelyn.” He replied. 

He kissed her gently. She smiled when they pulled away, but then she started to get out of bed.

“I have to go.” 

“Cat, please stay a little longer.” He begged. “I know you’re a very busy woman, but I don’t want you to go yet.”

“What, do you have plans for me?” She teased, seductively.

“No, I just-,” he sighed. “I just want you to lay with me for a moment.”

He was fully aware of how pathetic he probably sounded. But she nodded and laid back down next to him. 

“I’m sorry.” Jaime told her. “This is why I shouldn’t try the whole going to bars and picking up girls thing. Those nights never end well for me. I’m not good at letting people go.”

“Me either.”

He reached over and gently took her hand. And for a while, she just laid there and let him hold it. 

  
  


_ Oh, won’t you stay with me? _

_ ‘Cause you’re all I need  _

_ This ain’t love it’s clear to see _

_ But darling, stay with me _

That night, he saw Catelyn again. This time, she came straight to his hotel room. She knocked on his door at about ten, and he let her inside. 

When he closed the door behind her, he pinned her to the wall and kissed her hard, not bothering with greetings or small talk. He told himself he just needed to have her one more time. He would be leaving Winterfell in a few days, and he couldn’t let himself get attached to her.

Jaime slid his hand up the short skirt of her dress and began to rub her through her panties. She moaned softly into his mouth. He moved her panties aside and slipped one finger inside of her, then two.

She reached for the zipper of his pants and started to stroke him. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he reached for the zipper on her dress and pulled it off of her. He moved her to the bed as she tried to undress him.

When they were finally naked, he laid her down on the bed and fucked her. She groaned as he slid inside of her. His mouth moved from her lips to her neck, then down to her breasts, and one hand moved between her legs. It didn’t take long before they both came together, screaming.

The next morning, Catelyn was practically on top of Jaime when he woke up, her stunning red hair spread across his chest. He ran his hand through it gently, and her eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning, sweetling.” He told her. She smiled.

“Good morning.” She replied. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know.” He answered. “And I don’t care. I’m on vacation.”

“Well some of us aren’t.” She retorted. “And some of us have families to get home to.”

“Fair enough.” He turned to look at the alarm clock. “It’s after seven.” 

“I guess I can stay for a little bit.” She told him. 

They laid in peaceful silence for a few moments, before she spoke again.

“Jaime, do you have any children?”

The question startled him a little, but he answered honestly.

“I have three.”

“Are-, are you married?” She suddenly looked nervous.

“No, I’m not.”

“Were you ever married?” She questioned. 

“No.” He shook his head. “I can’t marry Cersei.”

“Do you want to?” 

“Maybe, or at least I used to.” He replied. “But I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t marry my sister.” Jaime blurted, without thinking it. He immediately hated himself for accidentally admitting that.

“What?” Catelyn sat up, looking shocked, and a little horrified. “You’re joking, right?”

He could have lied, but for some stupid reason, he decided to be honest with her.

“No, I’m not joking.” 

“I have to go.” She told him.

She got out of bed and started to grab her clothes from the floor.

“Catelyn, wait, please.” He begged. “Please don’t go.”

She turned around and looked at him, with an expression of disgust and something else that surprised him. Disappointment. Or sadness. Or maybe even hurt. 

“Cat, hear me out, please. I told myself that I would just see you one more time, and then I would let you go. But I can’t. I don’t know why, but I can’t. For whatever reason, I just feel like I need you. Which I know sounds weird and maybe a little creepy considering I hardly know you. But it’s true. I need you. What we have isn’t love, but it’s something. And I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to lose you. Please, stay with me.”

“I-I can’t.” She looked like she was on the verge of tears. “I’m sorry.”

She finished getting dressed and left without another word. 

**Catelyn’s POV**

_ Why am I so emotional? _

_ No, it’s not a good look, gain some self-control  _

That night, Catelyn drove down the street toward the hotel Jaime was staying at. She hated herself for going back. She had told herself she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t see him again. She wouldn’t even call him again. She had enough to deal with without getting involved with some clingy guy who lived all the way across the country and was also fucking his sister. 

But here she was, going back anyway. Robb, Jon, Theon, and Sansa were all convinced something was up, and even Arya was old enough to be suspicious. It wasn’t like her to be going out at night and not coming back until the next morning. Of course, they were right, but she refused to tell them anything. It was none of their business. 

As she parked her car in front of the hotel, she considered going back home. And as she walked inside, she tried convincing herself that she should. Even on the elevator up to his floor, she told herself she should leave. But in the end, she walked down the hallway and knocked on his door.

For a few moments, she heard nothing. Perhaps he wasn’t there. Maybe he had gone out again. It was probably for the best anyway. 

She started to walk away, but suddenly, the door opened. She turned around and saw Jaime standing there.

“Catelyn?” She stood there silently. “What are you doing here?”

She took a deep breath before responding.

“I told myself I wouldn’t come back. I told myself I couldn’t get involved with you. That you were nothing but trouble and would only ever cause me more pain if I got attached to you. But…,” 

“But?”

“But I couldn’t stay away.”

Jaime pulled her inside the room and shut the door behind her. He kissed her, and she kissed back desperately as he moved her towards the bed. But as he laid her down, she suddenly wondered what Ned would think if he could see her now. She pushed him away and burst into tears.

Catelyn rolled onto her side so he couldn’t see her face as she sobbed. She figured it wasn’t a good look, crying in front of someone you only know from fucking them. But he laid down beside her and put his arm around her, rolling her over so she was facing him. 

“What’s wrong, Cat?” Jaime asked, gently wiping the tears from her face.

She swatted his hand away and didn’t answer. 

“What’s wrong, kitten?” 

She tried to calm herself down but just started crying harder. Sometimes she wished she didn’t have to feel all of these emotions. All of this pain. It would be easier to just be numb. She at least wished she had enough self-control not to be laying here bawling.

She tried to explain, but she couldn’t.

“Ned,” was all she got out. 

Jaime pulled her closer and ran a hand through her hair to comfort her as she cried. 

“I’m so sorry, sweetling.” He told her.

After what seemed like forever, she finally started to calm down. He lifted her chin and kissed her, and this time, she let him kiss her until her tears and pain disappeared.

_ And deep down I know this never works _

_ But you can lay with me so it doesn’t hurt  _

The next day, Jaime had texted her and asked her if she wanted to go to dinner, and she had accepted. 

“Are you getting ready for a date?” Sansa questioned from the bathroom doorway. 

“No.” Catelyn answered as she finished doing her makeup. “I’m just going to dinner with a friend.”

It was nothing too over the top, but she wanted to look nicer than usual. But it wasn’t a date. She wasn’t ready for that, and she didn’t think he was either.

“Who is it?”

Catelyn sighed.

“His name is Jaime.” She answered. “And we’re just friends.”

“And is this Jaime the man you’ve been leaving every night to go have sex with?”

“Sansa, we’re just friends.”

She turned to her daughter with a glare that made her back off. 

“Right.” She nodded, starting to walk away. “Have fun.”

Catelyn met Jaime at a nice restaurant downtown. He wasn’t there yet when she arrived, but the hostess took her to their table anyway. He got there a few minutes later.

“You look lovely tonight.” Jaime remarked as he sat down across from her.

“And I don’t every night?” She teased. 

“Of course you do, I was just saying that you look really nice.” He replied nervously.

She laughed. 

“So, did you do anything interesting today?” Catelyn asked him.

“I walked through the godswood forest.” He told her. “The weirwood trees really are beautiful. It’s not hard to see why so many northerners believe the gods reside in there.” 

“It is a beautiful place.”

“Do you believe in the old gods?”

“No, I never converted. I still take the Seven.” She explained. “But Ned believed in the old gods, and his children do too. Except for Theon, who still believes in the drowned god of the Iron Islands.”

It hurt a little bit to talk about the godswood. Ned was a deeply religious man, who visited the forest often to pray. She hadn’t been there since he died. It reminded her too much of him. Besides, she never felt like she belonged there anyway. Those weren’t her gods. 

She realized that she was tearing up again, and she tried to blink them away. She needed to stop crying in front of Jaime.

“I’m sorry.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “This must be a difficult thing for you to talk about.”

“It’s fine, really.” She shook her head. 

Jaime changed the subject, and the rest of their dinner went well. The food was amazing, and so was the wine. After the meal, she followed him to his hotel, where they had something else amazing.

When she woke up the next morning, he wasn’t in bed with her. She heard his voice coming from across the room.

“I don’t know, I’ll be back in a few days.” He told someone on the phone. 

“Yeah, I know I said I’d be back by now, but I like it up here.”

“For once in my life, I’m actually enjoying myself, Cersei. Is that a problem?”

“You know I love you. But the way you’re acting about this makes me wonder if you really love me.”

He dropped his phone on the nightstand and climbed back into bed with her.

“What was that about?” Catelyn asked.

“It was just my sister.” Jaime replied. “Being completely self-absorbed as usual. I swear sometimes I wonder if she’s capable of loving anyone but herself.”

“I’m sorry.” She told him. “You deserve someone better. Someone who makes you happy. Because I can tell by the way you talk about her that she doesn’t.”

He didn’t reply, and she didn’t say anything else. For a while, they just laid there in silence. But eventually, he sat up.

“We should probably get up. I’m sure you have places to be.”

“No.” She reached out and took his hand before she could think better of it. “Stay.”

Jaime nodded and laid back down, wrapping his arms around her, and planting a soft kiss in her hair. She knew this was foolish. She was getting too attached to him when he would be leaving in a few days. He would go back to King’s Landing and she would never see him again.

But she wanted to stay here with him regardless. She wanted to lay in his arms and forget about all her pain and sadness for as long as she could. He was good at making everything hurt less. At making it feel like everything would be okay. And she desperately needed that, even if deep down she knew that this could only ever end in more hurt.

_ Oh, won’t you stay with me? _

_ ‘Cause you’re all I need _

_ This ain’t love, it’s clear to see _

_ But darling, stay with me  _

The next day, Catelyn woke up in the same hotel bed she’d been waking up in for almost a week. This time, she woke up to soft kisses on her face and neck.

“Jaime,” 

“Good morning, kitten.” He replied. “Do you have to get up soon?”

“It’s the weekend.” She reminded him. 

“Right. The days run together when you’re on vacation.”

She turned over to face him and kissed him. His hands began to travel down her body as they made out. She moaned when one of them landed between her legs. 

His lips moved from her lips to her neck, then down her chest and stomach. She whined when his hand stopped rubbing her, but she gasped in pleasure when he replaced it with his tongue.

“Jaime,” she moaned. Her hands grabbed his hair and held him against her. “Don’t stop.”

“I won’t, love.” 

She swore her heart stopped. 

“What did you just call me?”

He froze for a second before moving away from her.

“I-,” he sighed. “I called you love.”

“Y-you don’t love me, do you?” She questioned. “No. You can’t love me. We hardly know each other. I-I don’t love you. That’s not what this is. I-,”

“Catelyn, I’m sorry.” Jaime cut her off. “Of course I don’t love you. That just slipped out. But I do care about you. And I would like it if you would let me finish what I started.”

She nodded, and he repositioned himself back between her legs. 

After she came, he grabbed her face and kissed her deeply. She could taste herself on his mouth, which somehow managed to turn her on even more. 

“Jaime, please,” 

“Please, what, kitten?”

“Fuck me.”

He repositioned himself again, so he could slide inside her. But this time, it didn’t feel like he was just fucking her. It was sweeter and more tender than it had been the previous times they’d had sex. It almost felt like he was making love to her. She hadn’t felt like that in a long time.

“Fuck,” she moaned. “Jaime,”

“That’s it,” he told her. “Come for me, my love.”

Somehow, that sent her over the edge, and he came with her. When they finished, he rolled off her and wrapped his arms around her. 

“You did it again.” Catelyn told him. “You called me love.”

“I’m sorry.” Jaime replied. “You were right. I can’t love you. That’s not what this is. This isn’t love. I don’t think either of us are even in the right place for that. But…,”

“But?”

“But I can’t deny that I feel something for you. I don’t know why, but I need you.”

Catelyn didn’t know how to reply to that. Deep down, she felt the same way. But she wasn’t ready to admit that yet.

“Look, Cat, if this is too much for you, if you want to leave, if you don’t want to see me anymore, I understand.” Jaime told her. “If you want to go, I won’t try to stop you. I won’t beg you to stay.”

“I-,” she sighed. “I can’t do this right now, Jaime.” 

“Then go.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I can’t leave.” She decided. “I want to stay with you. And I want you to stay with me.” 

“Then I’ll stay with you.” He promised. “We’ll stay together.”

She knew he couldn’t stay with her forever. He would have to go back to King’s Landing eventually. But she didn’t want to think about that right now. 

She curled up against him and he kissed her sweetly. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes before whispering,

“I need you, too.” 

**Jaime’s POV**

_ Oh, won’t you stay with me  _

_ ‘Cause you’re all I need  _

_ This ain’t love, it’s clear to see _

_ But darling, stay with me  _

Jaime didn’t want her to leave that morning, or ever. But eventually, she had to. She had a rather large family to take care of. So he was left to spend another day alone in Winterfell. 

He had enjoyed it for the first few days. After all, he had come here to take some time for himself. But he was getting tired of spending every day alone when he wished he could be with Catelyn. 

He decided to call her as he got in the car after lunch. It was earlier than he usually called her, but he didn’t have anything better to do. 

“Hello?” She answered.

“Sorry if I’m bothering you.” He told her. “I just got bored.”

“Running out of things to do in the city?” 

“Apparently.” He replied. “Can I come over?”

He knew immediately that he shouldn’t have asked.

“Uh, no.”

“What, you don’t think it’s time for me to meet your family?” 

He’d already asked, so he might as well keep trying. 

“Absolutely not.” 

“So I can’t even come over for dinner?”

“No you can’t come over for dinner, and you can’t meet my children.” 

“Yes, you can.” Another man’s voice cut in.

“Who is this?” Jaime questioned.

“This is Robb Stark, Catelyn’s son. And I assure you we would all very much like to meet the man our mother has been meeting every night for the past week.” 

Jaime couldn’t help but notice that the boy sounded more than a little bitter. 

“Give that back.” He heard Catelyn tell him. “Sorry about that.”

“So, can I come over?”

“Fine.” She relented. “I’ll text you my address. Be here at six.”

By the time six o’clock rolled around, Jaime was beginning to regret asking to come over. He had been nervous since he got off the phone, but his anxiety boiled over as he walked up to her door. He briefly considered turning back and telling her he didn’t feel good or something. But there were eight people in the house, so someone had probably already seen him. Besides, he still really wanted to see her.

He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A few moments later, Catelyn opened the door with a nervous smile. 

“Come in.” She told him. 

“Is your new boyfriend here?” A voice called from inside.

“He’s not my boyfriend, Theon.” Catelyn replied. “Everyone, come here!” 

Three older boys were already in the living room, two girls came from upstairs, and two younger boys came from the hallway on the main floor, one of them in a wheelchair.

“Kids, this is my friend Jaime. He’ll be joining us for dinner tonight and I expect you all to be on your best behavior.” She turned to him. “Jaime, these are my kids, Robb, Jon, Theon, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” He told them. 

“He’s cute.” Sansa remarked to Arya. Jaime wasn’t sure if she’d intended for him to hear or not.

“Gross.” Arya retorted. 

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Theon, Sansa, Bran, and Rickon were polite, but Jon and Robb were cold, and Arya was flat out rude.

“So do you live in Winterfell?” Sansa asked. 

“No, I’m from King’s Landing.” Jaime explained. “I’m just here on vacation.”

“And how exactly did you meet our mother?” Robb questioned. 

“I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.” 

“And would that place happen to be a bar?” Robb inquired. “Because Mom’s been spending a lot of time there since Dad died.”

“Robb, don’t.” Sansa cut in. She turned back to Jaime. “Do you have any children?”

“Three, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen.”

“You’re not married, are you?” Arya questioned. 

“No.”

“Why didn’t you bring your kids with you?” Bran asked.

“They’re back in King’s Landing with their mother.”

“Maybe we could go to King’s Landing and visit you sometime.” Sansa suggested. “I’ve always wanted to see the capital.”

“It’s a great city, I’m sure you’d like it.” He replied, hoping they wouldn’t ask more questions about his family. 

They made awkward small talk over dinner. He asked the kids about their hobbies and how they liked school. They were all polite and responsive, except for Robb, Jon, and Arya. They made it clear they didn’t like him.

After dinner, he helped them clean up, before following Catelyn out of the kitchen. The kids went off to their own rooms, except for the oldest three, who went back to playing a video game in the living room. 

“Maybe we could go up to my room and talk for awhile.” She suggested to him.

He nodded, but as they started to go upstairs, Jon stopped them.

“Look, if you want to go out all night and sleep with a stranger like some kind of whore, whatever.” He snapped. “But don’t you dare sleep with him in the same bed you used to share with Dad.”

“Jon, we weren’t going to have sex.” She replied, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Sure you weren’t.” He rolled his eyes. 

“Maybe I should leave.” Jaime said. 

“Yeah, you should.” Jon agreed, before turning around to go back to the living room.

“I’ll call you later, Cat.” 

He walked out, feeling terrible for causing trouble with her family. 

“Jaime, wait,” she called after him. She caught up to him before he got to his car. She was crying. “I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s alright.” He replied. “I’m clearly the problem here.”

“No, you’re not. Please, stay.”

“I can’t stay, and we both know that. And you can’t come with me either. I don’t want to come between you and your kids.”

Catelyn sighed. 

“I know. I just want you to stay.” 

“I want to stay too. But I can’t.” He kissed her sweetly. “I’ll call you.”

She nodded sadly.

“Bye, Cat.” 

“Bye, Jaime.”

**Catelyn’s POV**

_ Oh, won’t you stay with me  _

_ ‘Cause you’re all I need  _

_ This ain’t love, it’s clear to see _

_ But darling, stay with me  _

Catelyn laid in bed that night alone. She hadn’t enjoyed laying in her own bed since Ned died. It just felt lonely. And somehow, it felt even lonelier now. She hadn’t laid in this bed in almost a week. And she figured it said something pretty sad about her life that she felt better laying in a hotel room with a stranger than she did in her own home.

She decided to text Jaime.

_ “Are you up?”  _ She asked.

A minute later, her phone buzzed.

_ “Yeah,”  _ Jaime replied.  _ “But I’m surprised you are.” _

_ “I couldn’t sleep.” _

_ “Me either.”  _

He was still typing, so she didn’t reply yet.

_ “I wish you were here.”  _ He said after a moment.

_ “Me too.”  _

_ “Maybe you can come over tomorrow?” _

_ “Maybe. How much longer will you be in Winterfell?” _

_ “I’ll leave in a couple days.” _

She sighed. She didn’t want him to leave. But she knew he had to. He had a life back in King’s Landing. He wasn’t going to give that up for some woman he barely knew. 

_ “I’ll miss you.”  _ She typed, then erased, then retyped and sent. 

_ “I’ll miss you too, kitten.”  _

Her heart hurt at the thought of him leaving, but she knew she couldn’t ask him to stay any longer.

_ “I’ll call you in the morning.”  _ She told him.  _ “Goodnight.” _

_ “Goodnight.” _

The next morning, when she left her room, she heard voices coming from the room across the hall that Jon, Robb, and Theon shared. 

“You two don’t get it.” Theon said. “This isn’t about replacing your father. She’s not disrespecting his memory. She just wants to be happy. She’s been so lonely and depressed since Ned died. Did you ever stop to think Jaime might be helping her?”

“Are you saying that being a whore is her coping mechanism?” Jon questioned.

“Honestly, the lack of respect you have for her is disgusting.” Theon retorted. “She’s raising seven children by herself and balancing a career as a lawyer. I don’t think we could even imagine how hard this past year has been for her.”

“And what would Dad think about the way she’s been handling it?” Robb asked.

“He would want her to be happy. And if Jaime makes her happy, then I think he would be okay with it.” 

Catelyn had thought a lot about what Ned would think of Jaime. She honestly wasn’t sure if he would be okay with it or not. But she appreciated Theon sticking up for her. 

She walked downstairs and went out onto the porch to call Jaime. He answered right away.

“Hello?”

“Jaime, I was just wondering if you wanted to see me today.”

“Of course, kitten.” He replied. “Wanna get dinner tonight?”

“Sure.” She agreed. 

“Great. I’ll pick you up at six.”

“Sounds good.” She could hear Sansa and Arya arguing inside the house, and she figured it was time to get back inside. “I gotta go.”

“See you tonight.” 

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

The day seemed to pass torturously slow, especially with the awkward vibe in the house. But eventually, six o’clock came.

“Good evening, Cat.” Jaime greeted her as she got in the car. “You look lovely tonight, as always.”

“Thank you.”

He took her hand as he drove, but they rode in silence on the way to the restaurant. When they finally arrived and sat down, he spoke again.

“I’ve been dreading telling you this all day, but I have to.” He sighed. “I’m leaving tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” She replied. “You have a job and a life to get back to. You can’t stay here forever.”

“The more I get to know you, the more I wish I could.” 

After dinner, he took her back to his hotel room. But there was a somber mood hanging over them. Neither of them knew what to say. 

He delicately lifted her chin with his finger, as if she might break if he touched her too hard. He kissed her deeply, and she felt something inside her she hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Inevitably, Jaime laid her down and made love to her, slowly and gently. She reveled in his touch and his kiss. She desperately tried to commit the feel of him inside her to memory. This would be the last time she felt it.

“I love you.” He told her as they fell apart together. 

“I-I love you too.” 

They laid in silence for several moments after they finished, until he finally spoke again.

“I meant what I said. I love you. I know it’s foolish and it doesn’t make sense. But I don’t care. It’s true. I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“I love you too.” Catelyn replied. “I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but I do.” 

“I don’t want to go back to King’s Landing.” He told her. “I miss my family, but I don’t want to leave you.”

“But you have to.” 

The next morning, she woke up in his arms again. And she didn’t want to get up. She wanted to lay here with him forever. But she couldn’t. She needed to go home. And so did he.

“I wish we could stay in bed longer.” He remarked, echoing her own thoughts.

“Me too.”

She got up and got dressed, and he followed her to the door. He kissed her passionately.

“I’ll miss you.” He said. “I’ll call you all the time.”

“I’d like that.” She replied. “Maybe you could come back and visit sometime.”

“I will.”

“I really do love you.” 

“I know.” He nodded. “And I love you too.”

Catelyn wanted to stay. She wanted him to stay. But it was time to say goodbye. 

She hoped it wouldn’t be goodbye forever.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
